Job Hunting in England

England's seasonal and short-term work is centered around the tourism and service industries. The summer months are the most popular as people flood into the cities and countryside to explore England, an take part in the many festivals.

Cities offer plentiful opportunities in pubs, bars and restaurants, but accommodations are also the most expensive. Hotels, golf resorts and spas are also a good place to look for work. They may also provide accommodations. Another option is with the many campsites, caravan and holiday parks in the positions of wardens, sales, and reception staff.

Search Engines

British Universities North America Club (BUNAC) is a non-profit member club which offers work abroad programmes suitable for gap years and summer vacations. The program covers expenses and offers a small salary.

EURES

As part of the EU, job seekers can access the European job mobility portal EURES. This resource provides information about job vacancies and the labor market. It also provides information on the living and working conditions, and a CV posting service.

Public Postings

Many places have billboards offering advertisements for a variety of goods and services. Watch these boards for useful postings. Laundrettes, cafes, grocery stores, community centers, pubs and bars all might have private ads.

Common Seasonal Jobs

Tourist destinations like London are always popular, by coastal cities and other tourist attractions have a need for seasonal workers. Inquire directly at establishments and for the best chance, bring your CV. Apply early into the season before positions fill up.

Frequent positions

Hostels

Pubs

Food Stands / Sandwich Shop

Small shops / Retail

Security agent

Teaching Foreign/English Language

As the vast majority of people speak English in England, this is not the most profitable side line. There are, however, language schools (and bilingual schools expanding) and people wanting to learn languages. If you are a native speaker of English or another language like French, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, etc. you may be able to establish yourself with a school (teacher or school assistant).

Teachers should be qualified to Diploma level or have considerable experience with adults and children. Candidates must have the right to work in the EU. To find work, contact language schools directly.

It is also an option to work for yourself. Private Lessons are usually more profitable per hour, but means a lot of hard work to find your own customers. The best way to get private students is to post advertisements in business newspapers, on bulletin boards, or offer your service on expat site's classifieds.

Student Employment Contract

An employment contract is standard for any working environment and in the case of student or short-term work, a student employment contract may be used. This usually imposes a time-limit between a student and an employer, with the student getting a salary for his/her work. Making a formal student work contract is not mandatory (it is possible to sign a standard employee contract instead), but may have additional benefits for a student position.

Discount Cards

ISE Card (International Student Exchange Card) - An internationally recognized identification card with thousands of discounts in over 80 countries, it is valid for one year from date of issue. Students of ANY age are eligible, as well as faculty members and children to young adults from 12-25. The price is $25 and you can purchase it online at www.isecard.com.

ISIC (International Student Identity Card) - Full-time students 12 years and older offers discounts on travel rates, accommodations, shopping, entertainment, basic sickness and travel insurance, and inexpensive international phone calls. A passport sized photo is required and the card costs about $25 and is good through December 31st of each year. It can be purchased at www.isic.org.

Work Visa

Members of the EU, EEA and of Switzerland do not need a work permit.

To receive a work permit, you must have a job offer from a licensed sponsor, a valid certificate of sponsorship and pass the points-based assessment to be eligible to apply. Temporary workers category or the youth mobility scheme within the points-based system are what most short-term workers would apply for. The standard for applications is that they will be decided within four weeks of receiving the application. Read about full requirements at UK Border Agency.

For more information on visa, consult the section on "Passport and Visas".

You will find information on voluntary jobs or internship abroad in our other articles on the left column of this page.

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